South East Queensland Region Research Articles

Identifying subsoil sediment sources with carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios

AbstractIncreased sediment loads from accelerated catchment erosion significantly degrade waterways worldwide. In the South East Queensland region of Australia, sediment loads are degrading Moreton Bay, a Ramsar listed wetland of international significance. In this region, like most parts of coastal Australia, sediment is predominantly derived from gully and channel bank erosion processes. A novel approach is presented that uses carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios and elemental composition to discriminate between these often indistinguishable subsoil sediment sources. The conservativeness of these sediment properties is first tested by examining the effect of particle size separation (testing for consistency during transport) and the effect of sampling at different times (testing for temporal source consistency). The discrimination potential of these sediment properties is then assessed with the conservative properties, based on the particle size and temporal analyses, modelled to determine sediment provenance in three catchments. Nitrogen sediment properties were found to have significant particle size enrichment and high temporal variance indicative of non‐conservative behaviour. Conversely, carbon stable isotopes had very limited particle size and temporal variability highlighting their suitability for sediment tracing. Channel erosion was modelled to be a significant source of sediment (μ 51%, σ 9%) contrasting desktop modelling research that estimated gully erosion is the predominant sediment source. To limit the supply of sediment to Moreton Bay, channel bank and gully erosion must both be targeted by sediment management programs. By distinguishing between subsoil sediment sources, this approach has the potential to enhance the management of sediment loads degrading waterways worldwide. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Paradigm shift to enhanced water supply planning through augmented grids, scarcity pricing and adaptive factory water: A system dynamics approach

This paper details a system dynamics model developed to simulate proposed changes to water governance through the integration of supply, demand and asset management processes. To effectively accomplish this, interconnected feedback loops in tariff structures, demand levels and financing capacity are included in the model design, representing the first comprehensive life-cycle modelling of potable water systems. A number of scenarios were applied to Australia's populated South-east Queensland region, demonstrating that introducing temporary drought pricing (i.e. progressive water prices set inverse with availability), in conjunction with supply augmentation through rain-independent sources, is capable of efficiently providing water security in the future. Modelling demonstrated that this alternative tariff structure reduced demand in scarcity periods thereby preserving supply, whilst revenues are maintained to build new water supply infrastructure. In addition to exploring alternative tariffs, the potential benefits of using adaptive pressure-retarded osmosis desalination plants for both potable water and power generation was explored. This operation of these plants for power production, when they would otherwise be idle, shows promise in reducing their net energy and carbon footprints. Stakeholders in industry, government and academia were engaged in model development and validation. The constructed model displays how water resource systems can be reorganised to cope with systemic change and uncertainty.

Examining the generational differences in consumption patterns in South East Queensland

The purpose of this paper is to examine the generational differences in consumption patterns in South East Queensland (SEQ) – a ‘sun belt’ region of Australia characterised by an urban and consumption-oriented lifestyle. Drawing on the SEQ quality of life survey data, characteristics of consumption are measured using a range of behavioural items that reflect the lifestyle choices the survey participants have made. These survey items have been factorised to determine the underlying structures that largely explain key consumption patterns in the region. Participants were categorised into one of four generational cohorts and their consumption patterns differentiated using a discriminant function analysis. The evidence from this study suggests that there exists little difference between generations in terms of consumption of public/common goods in the SEQ region except for ‘Generation Y’ as it is commonly known. The study findings also suggest that the ‘new leisure’ (i.e. internet, theme parks, fast food and rock concerts) is the most discriminating component that differentiates consumption patterns across generations.

Water security through scarcity pricing and reverse osmosis: a system dynamics approach

Water supply and demand planning is often conducted independently of social and economic strategies. There are presently no comprehensive life-cycle approaches to modelling urban water balances that incorporate economic feedbacks, such as tariff adjustment, which can in turn create a financing capacity for investment responses to low reservoir levels. This paper addresses this gap, and presents a system dynamics model that augments the usual water utility representation of the physical linkages of water grids, by adding inter-connected feedback loops in tariff structures, demand levels and financing capacity. The model, applied in the south-east Queensland region in Australia, enables simulation of alternatives and analysis of stocks and flows around a grid or portfolio of bulk supplies including an increasing proportion of rain-independent desalination plants. Such rain-independent water production plants complement the rain-dependent sources in the region and can potentially offer indefinite water security at a price. The study also shows how an alternative temporary drought pricing regime not only defers costly bulk supply infrastructure but actually generates greater price stability than traditional pricing approaches. The model has implications for water supply planners seeking to pro-actively plan, justify and finance portfolios of rain-dependent and rain-independent bulk water supply infrastructure. Interestingly, the modelling showed that a temporary drought pricing regime not only lowers the frequency and severity of water insecurity events but also reduces the long-run marginal cost of water supply for the region when compared to traditional reactive planning approaches that focus on restrictions to affect demand in scarcity periods.

Mapping stone: using GIS spatial modelling to predict lithic source zones

We present a new approach to predicting the location of sources of flakeable stone using GIS modelling of raw material proportions obtained from site assemblage data. This approach offers a valuable tool for locating potential source areas and investigating past lithic provisioning and landuse when abundant site assemblage data is available but precise source locations are unknown. Using published and grey literature on raw material composition for 84 sites, we generate a model of varying raw material concentrations for the Moreton Region of Southeast Queensland, Australia, and test our predicted source locations against known prehistoric quarries, geology maps and ground truthing of two key predicted areas with distinctive raw materials. Our results suggest distinct source areas are identifiable, suggesting that primary outcrops are more important sources of stone in this region than large streams and rivers.

The Potential Supply of Biomass for Energy from Hardwood Plantations in the Sunshine Coast Council Region of South-East Queensland, Australia

Small community-based biomass energy systems sourcing feedstocks from local small-scale forests are common in the northern hemisphere but are few in Australia. Fine-grained analyses of feedstock availability are an important precursor to increased investment in these systems in Australia. This study presents estimates of the potential biomass for energy supply from hardwood plantations within the Sunshine Coast Council region of southeast Queensland. The region’s 1,120 ha of private farm forestry, corporate-owned and joint venture hardwood plantations are predominantly small-scale (<20 ha) Gympie Messmate (Eucalyptus cloeziana) monocultures. Plantation age-class and corresponding area, productivity and management history findings and informed harvest-related assumptions underpin a 20-year forecast of biomass yields from a suggested plantation harvest schedule. The biomass yields are underbark stem-wood quantities assumed to be unmerchantable for higher-value solid-wood products. Future thinning (at age 12 years) and clearfell harvests (age 25 years) could provide minimum woody biomass yields of 30 and 108 GMt/ha respectively. Closer to 200 GMt/ha may be available from clearfell harvests of poorly-managed farm forestry plantations. The forecast annually available biomass supply is highly variable and mostly of small quantities. Biomass energy plants seeking a sustainable supply of feedstock must therefore access additional locally-available waste biomass. Further research is required to identify and quantify these sources. Field trials are also required to understand better the likely product mixes and available volumes of biomass for energy from the region’s various hardwood plantations and to test for efficient integrated biomass harvest and supply chain systems for the sizes and terrains that are characteristic of these plantations.

Distinction work and its consequences for women working as room attendants within five star hotels on the Gold Coast, Australia

Abstract This article highlights women room attendants’ experiences of the consequences of distinction work in five five-star hotels located in the Gold Coast region of South East Queensland, Australia. Those consequences are demonstrations of deference, reification of lower social class standing and social ostracism. ‘Distinction work’ requires attendants to recognize the guest’s superior class position as a key part of service interactions. An ontologically intertwined research stance was used with socialist feminism and critical theory epistemologies and a qualitative constructionist grounded theory methodology. Interviews were conducted with 46 room attendants working at five five-star hotels. This research contributes to hospitality literature by focusing on the influence of broader socio-economic hierarchies functioning within hotels, an arena not usually encompassed within hospitality studies. We argue that ‘distinction work’ involves a process wherein the causal aspects of demonstration of deference to guests during interactions, and the conditional aspects of the lower social standing of room attendants within the broader socio-economic arena, result in embedded ostracism. This article presents a new perspective on the low social value currently placed on room attendant employment.

Determining the value of multiple ecosystem services in terms of community wellbeing: Who should be the valuing agent?

When multiple ecosystem services are derived from multiple ecosystems across different policy, planning or management jurisdictions, questions arise regarding the valuation of ecosystem services such as: who are the beneficiaries; how do they value ecosystem services; and who should be the valuing agent? In attempting to achieve an integrated approach to natural resource management in South East Queensland (SEQ), stakeholders have combined their knowledge to develop a framework to identify, measure and value ecosystem services provided by the region. This paper focuses on a methodology trialled to value the ecosystem services derived from the SEQ region in terms of the wellbeing of the SEQ community. The methodology allows flexibility of choice regarding whose values count and who should be the valuing agent. The methodology was trialled with community participants and scientific experts. The building blocks of the Framework can be used to construct different model variants, each of which reveals key characteristics of ecosystem services in SEQ. The approach adopted to value ecosystems and ecosystem services offers scope for decision makers to think more broadly about possible impacts of decisions on the wellbeing of the community and has facilitated the inclusion of ecosystem services in statutory planning policy in SEQ.

Made in Queensland: planning reform and rhetoric

Queensland has been Australia's fastest growing state over the past 20 years. The rate and scale of development has intensified public debate around planning and sustainability in key areas such as transport infrastructure, housing affordability and economic growth and development. The Queensland Government is not coy about staking out an ambitious and competitive economic reform agenda at the state metro-regional or statutory levels. The most recent reform initiatives promote economic development through ‘planning for prosperity’ and the building of ‘a superior planning framework’ as a way of consolidating and promoting state interests. This paper focuses on the last two decades of planning reform initiatives in Queensland with particular reference to recent changes to the Sustainable Planning Act 1999 (SPA) such as the State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA) and the single State Planning Policy (SPP). This procedural emphasis on red and green tape reduction, streamlining planning processes and the development of a one-stop shop sits alongside a collaborative ambition at the metro-regional scale through initiatives such as the South East Queensland Regional Plan (SEQRP) as a means of better facilitating sustainable planning reform – not rhetoric – in Queensland.

Conservation genetics of the water mouse, Xeromys myoides Thomas, 1889

The water mouse, Xeromys myoides, is currently recognised as a vulnerable species in Australia, inhabiting a small number of distinct and isolated coastal regions of Queensland and the Northern Territory. An examination of the evolutionary history and contemporary influences shaping the genetic structure of this species is required to make informed conservation management decisions. Here, we report the first analysis undertaken on the phylogeography and population genetics of the water mouse across its mainland Australian distribution. Genetic diversity was assessed at two mitochondrial DNA (Cytochrome b, 1000 bp; D-loop, 400 bp) and eight microsatellite DNA loci. Very low genetic diversity was found, indicating that water mice underwent a recent expansion throughout their Australian range and constitute a single evolutionarily significant unit. Microsatellite analyses revealed that the highest genetic diversity was found in the Mackay region of central Queensland; population substructure was also identified, suggesting that local populations may be isolated in this region. Conversely, genetic diversity in the Coomera region of south-east Queensland was very low and the population in this region has experienced a significant genetic bottleneck. These results have significant implications for future management, particularly in terms of augmenting populations through translocations or reintroducing water mice in areas where they have gone extinct.

Estimating future changes in flood risk: Case study of the Brisbane River, Australia

Estimates of potential changes to flood risk due to climate change can be of great value but are difficult to estimate for various reasons including uncertain rainfall projections and problems associated with transforming model rainfall values into runoff and inflows at relevant catchment scales. Here we attempt to estimate changes to flood risk for the Brisbane River region of south-east Queensland which has a long history of serious flood events but which now benefits from the mitigating effect of the upstream Wivenhoe Dam. In this specific case study, the existence of good quality long-term records of rainfall, a relatively large number of climate model projections and the fact that the storage levels within the dam can be reasonably simulated as a function of annual rainfall totals provides a basis for estimating possible changes to flood risk. Changes to the risk of more serious floods is assumed to depend on changes to either the magnitude or frequency of extreme rainfall events combined with changes to the amount of water actually stored in the dam. An increase in extreme rainfall events could be offset by lower annual rainfall totals that effectively increase the mitigation capacity of the Dam. We analyse the results from climate models which simulate the effect of increased greenhouse gas emissions and note that they tend to favour an increase in the former and a decrease in the latter. As a consequence, the model results indicate a range of possible outcomes with no clear tendency one way or another. This outcome reflects the fundamental nature of the climate model results for rainfall for this region and will, most likely, dominate all attempts to reduce uncertainty.

Estimating the cost of air pollution in South East Queensland: An application of the life satisfaction non-market valuation approach

Making use of data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey coupled with air pollution data on PM10 exceedances generated by The Air Pollution Model (TAPM), this paper employs the life satisfaction approach to estimate the cost of PM10 exceedances from human activities in South East Queensland. This paper offers an estimate of the cost of PM10 exceedances from anthropogenic activities for the region of South East Queensland and provides further evidence on the association between air pollution (PM10 exceedances) and life satisfaction. A negative relationship is found between life satisfaction and the average number of days that ambient concentrations of PM10 exceed health guidelines. This yields an implicit willingness-to-pay, in terms of annual household income, for pollution reduction of approximately AUD 5000.

Planning for Climate Change: Is Greater Public Participation the Key to Success?

Within most democracies there is an assumption that greater public participation and engagement in policy processes results in more effective policy measures. These assumed benefits include better framed and more robust policies and a more informed, articulate and engaged citizenry. Similar assumptions exist also in planning for climate adaptation where more public participation and engagement are seen as vital components of any adaptation strategy and policy development process. This article explores these assumptions and considers whether there is any evidence that the success of planning for unavoidable climate change is related to the extent of public participation. Using an evaluation framework based on three aspects of participation we critically review a set of climate adaptation policy instruments developed within each of the three levels of government in Australia but with a specific focus on the region of South East Queensland.

‘The lowest rung’: Women room attendants’ perceptions of five star hotels’ operational hierarchies’

Hotel room attendants play a significant role in the overall performance and success of hotels. This study presents women room attendants’ perspectives of working in what they perceive is the lowest level of a hotel's operational hierarchy, and their experience of the power relationships inherent in these bureaucratic structures. A qualitative, constructionist grounded theory methodology was used, underpinned by a socialist-feminist, critical theory epistemology. Interviews were conducted with 46 room attendants from five ‘five-star’ hotels on the Gold Coast region of South East Queensland, Australia. Emerging from this study was the conceptualization of women room attendants’ daily work experiences at the lowest level of the operational hierarchy. Despite their conspicuous presence, women room attendants perceive themselves as near invisible through non-acknowledgement by hotel management and other staff due to their position at the lowest level of the operational hierarchy. This article contributes to theoretical research on employment experiences in hospitality, particularly on hotel operational praxis and methodologically presents the perceptions of women room attendants through embodiment of their particular voices.

Policy networks, stakeholder interactions and climate adaptation in the region of South East Queensland, Australia

The strategic use of science in regional policy-making forums often assumes collaborative interactions between stakeholders. However, other types of stakeholder interactions are possible. This paper uses the ecology of games to frame an investigation into stakeholder participation in the policy networks for regional climate change planning for South East Queensland, Australia. We tracked organisational participation in policy forums between 2008 and 2012. We then used a novel bipartite network theoretical approach to identify participation by different types of organisations across shared multiple forums, which we argue prefaces: cooperation, collaboration, support or advocacy. Network analysis was then combined with semi-structured interviews to access how scientific information was utilised across the regional network. Our results suggest that stakeholder interactions were predominately used to advocate for organisational agendas. Advocacy artificially narrows the scope of possible policy options and represents a biased, selective use of information. While advocacy is an important part of policy process, as a counter balance, explicit efforts are needed to recurrently expand the scope of policy options.

Health literacy among consumers in community pharmacy: perceptions of pharmacy staff

Low health literacy has important consequences for health status, medication adherence and use of health services. There is little insight from the perspective of pharmacy staff into how they identify the information needs of consumers and particularly the signals and risk factors of limited health literacy that they encounter in their day-to-day communication with consumers. To investigate factors impacting on consumer health literacy, from the perspective of pharmacy staff. The research comprised semi-structured interviews conducted in a convenience sample of pharmacies in the south-east region of Queensland, Australia. Eleven pharmacists and nine pharmacy assistants agreed to participate. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Initial coding of the anonymized transcripts was performed using NVivo(®). Codes were analysed into overarching themes and subthemes, which were then re-named and refined through consensus discussion. Three overarching themes were identified from the coding process: complexity of the health system, clarity of information, and dialogue among consumers and health-care professionals. Two of the themes were system related, namely the health system and pharmacy labels; the health literacy issues included lack of clarity, complexity and misunderstanding. The third theme was related to communication. Complexity of the health system, clarity of information and dialogue among consumers and health-care professionals were identified as factors associated with consumers' health literacy. We call for increased engagement between pharmacy staff and consumers with improved focus on areas of potential confusion, such as medicine labels and navigation of the health system, aiming to minimize negative consequences of limited health literacy and optimize patient health outcomes.

Ageing Australia: changing location patterns of older people in South East Queensland

This paper investigates a decade of changes in the location patterns of older people in the ‘sunbelt’ region of South East Queensland (SEQ). Despite the accentuation of public policies to better cater for older people in an ageing Australia, little attention has been directed towards exploration of the changing spatial distributions of older people over time. This paper partially redresses this gap in the literature, by exploring changes in the spatial distribution of older people in SEQ over the decade 1996 to 2006. The findings highlight a marked spatial variation in numerical and structural ageing across SEQ, in which numerical ageing has become more pronounced, whereas structural ageing, particularly in the coastal areas, has, largely, not eventuated.

Current challenges and future directions for naturopathic medicine in Australia: a qualitative examination of perceptions and experiences from grassroots practice

BackgroundNaturopaths are an increasingly significant part of the healthcare sector in Australia, yet despite their significant role there has been little research on this practitioner group. Currently the naturopathic profession in Australia is undergoing a period of rapid professional growth and change. However, to date most research exploring the perceptions of naturopaths has been descriptive in nature and has focused on those in leadership positions rather than grassroots practitioners. This article explores the perceptions and experiences of practising naturopaths on the challenges and future directions of their profession.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 naturopaths practising in the Darling Downs region of South-east Queensland, Australia to explore current perceived challenges in the naturopathic profession in Australia.ResultsParticipants perceived a number of internal and external challenges relating to the profession of naturopathic medicine. These included a public misconception of the role of naturopathic medicine; the co-option of naturopathic medicine by untrained or unqualified practitioners; the devaluation of naturopathic philosophy as a core component of naturopathic practice; a pressure to move towards an evidence-based medicine model focused on product prescription; the increasing commercial interest infiltrating complementary medicine, and; division and fragmentation within the naturopathic profession. Naturopaths generally perceived government regulation as a solution for many of these challenges, though this may be representative of deeper frustrations and disconnections between the views of grassroots naturopaths and those in professional leadership positions.ConclusionsGrassroots naturopaths identify a number of challenges that may have significant impacts on the quality, effectiveness and safety of naturopathic care. Given the significant role naturopaths play in healthcare in Australia the practice and policy implications of these challenges require further research attention.

Does more mean less? The value of information for conservation planning under sea level rise

Many studies have explored the benefits of adopting more sophisticated modelling techniques or spatial data in terms of our ability to accurately predict ecosystem responses to global change. However, we currently know little about whether the improved predictions will actually lead to better conservation outcomes once the costs of gaining improved models or data are accounted for. This severely limits our ability to make strategic decisions for adaptation to global pressures, particularly in landscapes subject to dynamic change such as the coastal zone. In such landscapes, the global phenomenon of sea level rise is a critical consideration for preserving biodiversity. Here, we address this issue in the context of making decisions about where to locate a reserve system to preserve coastal biodiversity with a limited budget. Specifically, we determined the cost-effectiveness of investing in high-resolution elevation data and process-based models for predicting wetland shifts in a coastal region of South East Queensland, Australia. We evaluated the resulting priority areas for reserve selection to quantify the cost-effectiveness of investment in better quantifying biological and physical processes. We show that, in this case, it is considerably more cost effective to use a process-based model and high-resolution elevation data, even if this requires a substantial proportion of the project budget to be expended (up to 99% in one instance). The less accurate model and data set failed to identify areas of high conservation value, reducing the cost-effectiveness of the resultant conservation plan. This suggests that when developing conservation plans in areas where sea level rise threatens biodiversity, investing in high-resolution elevation data and process-based models to predict shifts in coastal ecosystems may be highly cost effective. A future research priority is to determine how this cost-effectiveness varies among different regions across the globe.

Evaluation of plumbed rainwater tanks in households for sustainable water resource management: a real-time monitoring study

In recent years, there has been a significant emphasis placed on achieving reductions in urban residential water demand through the application of alternative water resources on various housing development scales based on a “fit-for-purpose” concept. One such resource is rainwater that could be used in various non-potable applications at household level in urban areas. Savings in mains water achieved through the inclusion of rainwater as a source for residential use are plausible; however, analyses on quantifying the actual reduction in mains water demand are still at an early stage to incorporate into strategic planning for urban water supply. This paper highlights the real-time monitoring outcomes of 20 detached households with plumbed rainwater tanks in an attempt to assess their volumetric reliabilities, diurnal water demand patterns and water energy nexus. The rainwater usage (or mains water saving) was validated and assessed using 12 months monitoring data and an average yearly rainwater usage of 40 kl/household was found. The volumetric reliability, which is the ratio of the rainwater usage to the total household water demand, was found to be on average 31%. The instantaneous peak water demand was estimated to range between 16 and 93 l/min within the monitored homes, which has a strong implication for the design of household water supply system. Furthermore, the specific energy usage for rainwater supply in the 20 homes was estimated to be 1.52 kWh/kl. This study constitutes important research which provides critical input into strategic urban water planning for sustainable water resource management. The study is focussed on the South East Queensland region of Australia but the methodology developed for the monitoring and assessment of water savings in households with plumbed rainwater tanks will be useful for adoption worldwide by water professionals engaged in alternative water resources planning for urban developments.